Seattle Soccer Examiner

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

KC takes 'reserved' attitude to Seattle

How does a Sounders fan take the news that Kansas City Wizards have decided to send mostly reserve players out to face us in tonight's United States Open Cup Quarterfinals?

1. Yippee! Better chance to win and advance!2. I feel cheated. If I pay $20 I want to see their best.3. If we win they can claim they didn't try.4. If we lose, they can claim even their reserves are better.

Which ever way us fans might take it, the fact remains the USL Seattle Sounders will return to Qwest Field tonight for an important match. Seattle can't control the moves the opponent might make to get here (or not), but they can control how they approach the match: passion, intensity, and desire to win and advance. How about this one, too: a chance to make up for their last match at Qwest, a completely unsatisfying 0-0 draw in May against Portscum.

The Sounders are focusing this part of their year around the Open Cup. Josh Gardner and Leighton O'Brien didn't make the recent road swing back east where the Sounders drew one and lost one. Kevin Sakuda did go, but his consecutive starts string was ended in Charleston.

On Northwest Sports Tonight last night coach Brian Schmetzer made the game plan clear: go as far as we can in the US Open Cup, and rely on players getting healthy and a big year-end home stand to make the USL playoffs and take momentum towards defending the crown.